Wind interests ask feds to allow clustered projects

ISO New England and wind energy interests from around New England are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to let them cluster projects together to make it possible to install more wind power and other new renewable power generation projects.

Maine Public reported that developers have proposed hooking up enough new turbines to increase Maine's wind energy production five times over. But Maine's trunk power lines are at capacity, and it could cost $1.8 billion to meet just half of the demand that developers have indicated. Clustering projects would allow industry players to plan for upgrades and allocate costs.

Maine currently produces 60% of New England's wind energy.

"It's really important to the larger question of how would Maine or how could those resources move ahead, whether wind or solar or even biomass, to pay for the connections, and the improvements that are needed to bring that energy online," John Carroll, spokesman for Central Maine Power, told Maine Public.